Public Act 097-1155
 
HB5528 EnrolledLRB097 17545 KMW 62750 b


  
    AN ACT concerning safety.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  



 
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the First 
Informer Broadcasters Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions.
    "Broadcaster" means a radio broadcasting station, cable 
operator, or television broadcasting station primarily engaged 
in, and deriving income from, the business of facilitating 
speech via over-the-air communications, both as to pure speech 
and commercial speech.
    "First informer broadcaster" means a person who has been 
certified as a first informer broadcaster pursuant to Section 
15 of this Act. 
 
    Section 10. Broadcasters. Broadcasters in this State may, 
in cooperation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency 
and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, or its successor 
organization, develop comprehensive, coordinated plans for 
preparing for and responding appropriately to an emergency or 
disaster.
 
    Section 15. First informer broadcasters; training and 
certification.
    (a) Any Statewide organization, or any member of a 
Statewide organization, that represents broadcasters, cable 
television communications, or any other provider that uses 
emerging technologies may establish a program for training and 
certifying broadcast engineers and technical personnel as 
first informer broadcasters. Each program established pursuant 
to this subsection must:

        (i) be consistent with federal law and guidelines;
        (ii) provide training and education concerning 
    restoring, repairing and resupplying any facilities and 
    equipment of a broadcaster in an area affected by an 
    emergency or disaster; and
        (iii) provide training and education concerning the 
    personal safety of a first informer broadcaster in an area 
    affected by an emergency or disaster.
    (b) To the extent practicable and consistent with not 
endangering public safety or inhibiting recovery efforts, 
State and local governmental agencies shall allow a first 
informer broadcaster access to an area affected by an emergency 
or disaster for the purpose of restoring, repairing, or 
resupplying any facility or equipment critical to the ability 
of a broadcaster to acquire, produce, and transmit essential 
emergency or disaster-related public information programming, 
including, without limitation, repairing and maintaining 
transmitters and generators, and transporting fuel for 
generators.
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.